Air-preheating device



L. W. SCHUESSLER.

AIR PREHEATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1920.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

1 m Hi WHJMA UNITED STA TES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO W. SCHUESSLER, OF CHIGLAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIR-PREHEATING DEVICE.

Application filed May 5, 1920. Serial No. 378,996.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lno WV. SoHUEssLnR, a citizen of the United States, and res1dent of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an A r-Preheatmg Device, of which the following is a'speclfication.

My invention relates to means for preliminarily heating the supply of a 1r to carbureters and particularly to a speclfic apphcation of such heating means.

It is well known that, particularly 1n cold weather, it is desirable to preheat the air for mixture with the liquid fuel and to this end many expedients have been resorted to. My improvement relates particularly to the application of such heating means to .a device commonly employed on certaln types of automobiles. In the instance illustrated I have mounted the heatlng device within a casing which constitutes an ntake mufller. In this manner I am able to heat a body of air before it is drawn into the carbureter. The mere passage of a stream of air over heated wires, particularly in cold weather, does not efiectually heat the air and it is, therefore, desirable that a confined body of air be preliminarily heated before it is drawn into the carbureter. To this end I mount the heating element, which may be in the form of resistance wires, within an intake muffler and locate the ordinary choke valve at the entrance to the muffler. Thus I am able to close off the space within the mulller, preliminarily heating the body of air therein and restrict the amount of air which is permitted to pass over the heating wires into the carbureter.

A further advantage in the construction shown is in the simplicity thereof and the ease with which it may be adapted to a construction such as shown.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a device constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings it will be seen that a carbureter is indicated at 10, it being provided with an intake nozzle 11, on which an intake muffler is mounted. The mufiler consists of two parts, one part consisting of a plate 12 having an axial opening therein Whl-Cll registers with the opening in the carbureter nozzle, the plate fitting over the nozzleand being held 1n place by a set screw 14;. The other part 15, of the muffler, is of bell-shape, a peripheral flange 16 providing means for attachment, in connection with the screws 17, to the plate 12. The bell-shaped casing 15 term nates in a restricted inlet opening 18 wlthm which a choke valve 19, of the butterfly type, is mounted. This valve is operated from the dash of the automobile in the usual manner.

Mounted between the two sections 12, 15, of the muflier, is a circular plate 20 provided with apertures near its periphery, which register with the openings occupied by the screw 17. This plate is provided with a concentric opening 21 which registers with the carbureter inlet and over this opening I place an arched member 22, the ends of which may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the plate 20. A binding post 23, which projects through the wall of the bell 15 and is suitably insulated therefrom, provides means for attachment of an electric wire 24, suitably connected through a switch to the battery. A second wire 25 is connected to the inner end of the post and to a second binding post 26 mounted in and properly insulated from the arched member 22. To this post I connect two suitably coiled and shaped resistance wires 27, 28, the opposite ends ofwhich are grounded on the plate 20. The arrangement is such that when the user desires to start his automobile he may close the choke valve and then close the switch, thus heating the resistance wires. The air within the casing is quickly heated and upon turning over the motor the heated air is drawn in and quick starting is assured.

Obviously the exact form and arrangement of the parts is not essential and I do not'wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In air-heating means for internal combustion engines, the combination with a carbureter, of a casing secured to the carbua tubular extension 13 from reter intake nozzle and providing an exclosed entry of air into the casing is prevented and a quantity of air is held in said casing subject to the action of said heating means.

2. In an air-heating means for internal combustion engines, a carbureter, a casing secured to the carbureter intake nozzle and producing an expansion chamber, said casing having a restricted inlet opening; in substantial alinement with the carbureter intake nozzle, an air-heating means within the casing, and a valve in the inlet opening whereby the closing of the valve closes communication between the atmosphere and the carbureter intake nozzle and retains a quantity of air in the casing subject to the action of said heating means.

3. In an air-heating means for internal combustion engines, the combination with a carbureter, of a casing secured to the carbureter intake nozzle and providing an expansion chamber having a restricted inlet opening, an electric heating means within said chamber, and a valve in said inlet opening so positioned that the closing of the valve prevents entry of air into the casing and holds the air within the casing in contact with the said heating means.

4. In air preheating means for carbureters, the combination with the carbureter inlet, of a conical casing, an apertured plate closing the large end of the casing, the small end being open, means for mounting, the casing with the aperture. in register with the carbureter inlet, and a second similarly apertured plate adapted to be interposed between the casing and the first plate, and resistance wires mounted across the aperture in the second plate, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day of April, 1920.

LEO IV. SCHUESSLER 

